Identification panel



March 5', 1929.

J. H. DEPLER IDENTIFICATION PANEL Filed Aug. 15, 1927 Jahn/H1761?? 67"of the latter, and also n license tag commonly Patented Mar. 5, i929.

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JOI-IN H. DEPLER, OF COLUMBUS, OI-IIOLk IDENTIFCATON PANL.

Application, led 'August 15, 1927. i Serial No. 212,905.

This4 invention relates to improvements in motor vehicle identificationpanels, and!v has for an outstanding object the provision of a panel ortag of the kind used by the various iStates and Government for thepurpose of license identification, and wherein suchftag or panel will beof a durable and permanent character capable of being used from year to`year for the purpose of producing a more substantial construction whichin point of` ape pea-rance will harmonize to greater advantage with theappearance of the motor vehicle jupon which it is carried so as to avoid.the unsightlyy appearance which the ordinary imparts to a motor-vehi'cle, regardless of the cost and appearance to avoid thewaste ofmetal and the cost ofmanufacture of the ordinary license tag which ismerely used for Y but aV short period and then discarded, at thelexpiration of a tax period, for another.

Another objectvof the invention resides in 3-3 of Figure 2,

the provision of a permanent motor vehicle.

identification panel wherein the year displaying numerals are capable ofbeing changed fromV time to time as changing license periods j require,the changeable numerals being arranged within a sealed casing, so thatunau thorized tampering therewith is precluded and in order that a dulyauthorized tax o fiicial may upon the payment of the required licensefee, break said seal and adjust the year numerals to bring thelatterinto correspondence with the tax period, all of this beingaccomplished without'necessarily demounting' the tag or panel andwithout discarding any parts thereof.

For a further understanding of the vinvention reference is to be had tothe following description and lthe accompanying drawing, wherein: Y

Figure 1 is a. front elevation of my im.-

proved permanent automobile identification panel,

Figure 2 is a rear elevation thereof, parts kbeing broken away todisclose interior struc-l ture, l

Figure 8 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the planeindicated by the line Figure 4 is a vertical sectional lview taken onthe plane indicated by the line 4`4 of Figure 3, v y

Referring more particularly to the drawing the numeral 1 designates themain panel of my improved 'license display device. This whereas,

.sion of the spool 8 is of greater length,

panel hasl its obverse surfaceprovided with suitablelicense data,setting forth usually the numbeiuof the license and the name ofthe'State issuing ,thelsame :Any-suitable and convenient method may beemployed for effecting the mounting of the panel in an operativeposition upon' a motor vehicle. The l back ofv the panel l is providedwith Lacasf ingQ, which is formedto include a swinging door 3, thelatter being hinged as at 4 upon the back of the panel '1. Also. securedto the back side of the panel f1 isv a baseplate' 5, which is formed toinclude rectangularly arranged flanges 6, in which are journaledparallel upper and lower shafts?, which carry drums or spools 8.' Thespools of the lower shaft 7' are loosely mounted and arranged to` rotatefreely yupon the shaft,

the spools ron the upper shaft, which are two in number, arefrictiona-llyge'ngaging the flanges 6'0f the base plate 5. 1 The yinnerspool'is pinned to the shaft so as 'to rotate therewith and theotherspoolis formed with an extension projecting-beyond one of theflanges 6 above which the latter spool maybe turned independently ofthe?4 shaft. VTrained over the drums or spools 8 are endless belts orribbons 9, which are provided with numerals as -indicated `at 10. Theupper shaft 7 and the extension of the spool 8 is provided withsquared-ends. 11, which project beyond one of theiianges 6 for thepurpose of permitting of the application of a suitable wrench or tool`in order to rotate theshafts and the'spools arrangedthereon,V tothereby permit of the adjustment ofthev belts9 so as to bring thedesired numerals into registration with a glass covered opening12provided in the panel 1.

In order that the two first numerals indi-` cate the year, as disclosedin Figure 1 of the drawing, there'is provided a third shaft 7 which ispositioned intermediate the upper and lower shaftsi?. This shaftis of aconstruction identical to that of the upper shaft 7, with the exceptionthat the reduced eXtenmitting the same to be rotated from the side asthat ofthe upper spool 8. v

The hinged door 3 completely covers this interior mechanism and in thisinstance the Sule door is provided on one side with a slotted `keeperplate 13, which is adapted to receive an eye'or bail 14 fastened totheback side of the panel 1. A seal 15 is forced through the eye 14 forthe purpose of locking or sealing finished in any desired manner for thepurpose of enhancing the appearance of the panel and to adapt the sameaesthetically to the aption with which it is used.

pearance and style of the vehicle in connec- Upon the payment of therequired license fee, usually from year to year, the duly appointed taxcollecting official may break the seal and turn the nu- I Y merals beltto bring the proper year number into registration with the 'sightopeningl2' rovided in the front of the panel. `After rwhich the door is againsealed and the identification panel may then be employed withoutadditional adjustment until the nextsucceeding tax period. It will beappreciated that I may use one or more of the belts 9 withoutde iparting from the principles of the invention.

What is claimed is:v

l. A permanent tagcomprising a license bea-ring panel having an openingformed therein, a casing arranged on the back of said panel and providedinternally with a pair of flanges spaced from the side walls of saidcasing, spaced'upper and lowershafts rotatablyA vI'nountedinsaid flangesand having their ends extending into the spaces between said flanges andwalls of said casing, spools loosely mounted on one of said shafts, aspool fixed to rotate with the other of said shafts, aisecond spoolloosely mounted on the last namedV shaftand having an extension formedtherewith, endless belts trained around said spools provided withnumerals, said belts being arranged in registration with the opening insaid panel, means formed with one end of the last i mentionedshaft andsimilar means formed with said extension for turning the spools mountedon the latter shaft independently of each other', anda closure for saidcasing. Y

2. A permanent tag comprising a license bearing panel having an openingformed therein, a casing arranged on the back of said panel and providedtherein with a pair of spaced flanges, spaced upper and lower shaftsparallelly arranged and rotatably `mounted in said flanges, spoolsloosely mounted on one of said shafts, a spool fixed tov rotate with theother of said shafts, a second spool loosely mounted on the last namedshaft and having extensionsformed therewith, said extension and one endof said shaft projecting beyond one of said flanges, saidshaftprojecting a distance beyond said extension, endless belts trainedaround'said spools pro-v vided withV numerals, said belts being ar-lranged in registration with the opening in said panel,fand means formedwith the projecting end of the last mentioned shaft and means formedwith ysaid extension for permitting of the turning of rsaid spoolsmounted on1 the latter shaft independently of each ot ier.

In testimony whereof I` affix my signature. 'I

JOHN H. 'niirnna

